Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.

Lest we forget

The 80th anniversary events for the D-Day landings in France have been very moving, recalling an incredible moment in history and made particularly special by the presence of the few surviving veterans who had managed to travel – mostly aged over 100 by now but for whom the memories and the emotion were clearly still fresh. 

For freedom.
Eternal gratitude to our Allies. pic.twitter.com/MReXM8y8iv

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 6, 2024

D-Day was only the start of course – France was fully liberated by the end of August 1944 but the Nazi regime did not finally fall until May 1945. 

More French civilians died than Allied troops in the weeks around D-Day, mostly killed during the aerial bombardment that destroyed Caen, Cherbourg and many other towns in northern France. They deserve to be remembered too.

For French-speakers, I really recommend this two-part documentary on France Télévisions, which features incredible contemporary film footage. 

Talking France

We talk about D-Day – and its political importance in the context of an increasingly fractured Europe – in this week’s Talking France podcast. But we’re also discussing weird car-washing laws, the things that are likely to get you a scolding in France, plus exactly how the EU’s big travel change will impact your journey. Listen here or on the link below. 

Brexit effect

There’s been a lot of comment about this video of British paratroopers landing in France (recreating the 1944 parachute jumps) then being subject to French passport and customs checks.

Après les parachutages organisés par les Britanniques, ce mercredi à Sannerville, les courageux parachutistes passent par la case « douanes » pour des formalités administratives. Avec le sourire. #DDay #Calvados #Normandie pic.twitter.com/J9oCoP1gf4

— Ouest-France 14 (@OuestFrance14) June 5, 2024

Much of the reporting of this event confuses customs and passport rules – pre-Brexit, the UK was a member of the EU but not of the Schengen zone, so passport checks were always a part of the UK-France journey.

Brexit has brought in two changes; firstly arrivals from the UK are now subject to customs checks (hence the presence of the douaniers in the video) – they check what you are bringing in to France, whether it has the correct paperwork, if customs charges have been paid where applicable and confiscate anything that does not meet EU standards – this particularly applies to food, since most animal products cannot be brought into the EU without a veterinary certificate.

The second change is how passports are checked – pre-Brexit this was a simple security check, since Brexit passports of non-EU nationals (with the exception of people who have an EU visa or residency permit) are stamped on entry and exit. This is to ensure that people have not over-stayed their 90-day allowance in the EU Bloc. 

And yes, this applies to everyone – even if you arrive by parachute rather than the more common routes of Eurostar/ Le Shuttle/ cross-Channel ferry/ commercial airline.

What did the EU do for us?

Speaking of the EU, the French will go to the polls on Sunday to vote in the European Parliament elections. Well, some of them will go – turnout is expected to be around 50 percent, a lot lower than for French domestic elections. 

Of those who are planning to vote, a significant number are telling pollsters that they intend to vote on domestic issues – namely giving president Emmanuel Macron an electoral kicking by voting for his rival Marine Le Pen’s party.

The EU often feels remote – but it actually has a big impact on daily life. Every time you go on holiday, apply for compensation for a delayed flight, plug your phone in to charge, close a cookie window on the internet or even open your wallet you can thank/curse the EU for its policies.

Those foreigners who gain French citizenship get not only the right to live in France, but membership of a 27-country club with the right to move freely from Sweden to Spain, Portugal to Poland.

Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.